# **Trustees’ annual report for the period** # **from 01 January 2022 to 31 December 2022** ## **Reference and administrative details** Charity name Peak and Northern Footpaths Society Other names charity is known by PNFS Registered charity number 212219 Charity principal address Taylor House 23 Turncroft Lane Stockport SK1 4AB **Names of the charity trustees who manage the society Trustee name Office (if any)** Kathy McLean Chair David Gosling Vice Chair Paul Easthope Treasurer David Brown Acting Secretary (since 22 September) David Morton Mel Bale Jenny Allen Secretary (until 22 September) Tim Lewis Suzanne Longworth Stuart Proud Chad Wilkinson ## **Names and addresses of advisors** Bank Cooperative Bank, PO Box 250, Delf House, Southway, Skelmersdale WN8 6WT Direct debits CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4TA Financial advisor Redmayne-Bentley ## Structure, governance and management ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Type of governing document Constitution adopted 04 April 2018 How the charity is constituted Unincorporated association Trustee selection method Trustees are elected or reappointed at the AGM in April ## **Additional governance issues** The Society is a statutory consultee on all proposed changes to public rights of way in our area, which comprises the ceremonial counties of Lancashire (south of the River Kent), Cheshire, West Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. ## Objectives and activities ## **Summary of the objects of the charity as set out in its governing document** - a) Creating, preserving and improving open spaces, public access rights and rights of way (other than for mechanically propelled vehicles); particularly in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Staffordshire, the former Metropolitan Counties of Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South and West Yorkshire and in Blackburn & Darwen, Blackpool, Derby, Halton, Stoke-on-Trent and Warrington - b) Preventing the abuse of such rights - c) Monitoring, supporting and opposing proposals and orders for the creation, closure, diversion and regrading of public rights of way - d) Erecting and maintaining direction posts, signs, footbridges and commemorative and other structures which improve access ## **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects** - Scrutinising proposals to modify the public right of way network in our area - Arranging a programme of inspection for that network - Taking legal action to deal with faults on that network - Funding improvements to that network - Erecting signposts - Funding footbridges ## **Additional details of objectives and activities** We are grateful for the many hours volunteers have spent working, both inside and outside. Without these volunteers the Society would be unable to function. ## Achievements and performance ## **Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year** Our membership has increased from 1326 to 1418, an increase of7%, and we have 95 affiliated walking groups and parish councils. As statutory consultees we have examined 178 public paths orders and dealt with 267 consultations, 2 public space protection order, 13 objections and 63 other matters. This is a substantial increase on to last year. We have increased our Inspector numbers from 179 to 184 covering over 700 parishes They inspect the footpaths in their parishes under the guidance of 8 Area Officers and have discovered over 7000 faults. Only 35% of these have been resolved, largely because financial cutbacks mean that local authorities rarely have the manpower to deal with them all. We have launched a Path Checker App which allows walkers, who do not wish to commit to being inspectors, to report faults through their mobile phones. But we do not hesitate to be robust about dangerous or persistent faults and our 6 Courts and Inquiries Officers (C&IOs) have been authorised on several occasions to serve notice (under s56 or s130A of the Highways Act) on highway authorities. We always precede serving the notice with sending a letter before action. This often prompts them to repair the fault without our needing recourse to serving the order. The Society has been involved in a number of cases to claim paths on behalf of the walking public where the route is not recorded on the definitive map (DMMOs). This involves extensive work in collecting both verbal and historic evidence 13 new signposts have been erected throughout our area making a total of 567 The programme of inspecting and maintaining each signpost every three years remains on track, helped by the addition of a number of people to the signpost team. .Many signposts are funded by member’s donations often in memory of deceased relatives. A few vandalised signposts have been repaired or replaced. Total expenditure £6213 Seven footbridge were funded by the Society at a cost of £2586 We hand these over to the appropriate highway authority as we are unable to guarantee to maintain them in perpetuity. Highway authorities seem to be increasingly reluctant to take ownership of bridges. We are continuing to fund improvements to the public rights of way network despite the reluctance of many Highway Authorities to take on addition commitments. And have spent £42,909 on these improvements We are now approaching other organisations such as Wildlife Trusts, Walking Groups and Park Authorities ## Financial review ## **Brief statement of the Society’s policy on reserves** Our balance sheet at year end 2022 was £454,471 held in a combination of cash, investments and fixed assets (our office building, computer equipment, furniture and fittings). Within this figure we have restricted funds of £61,010 and fixed assets of £60,654. We maintain a contingency fund of £10,000 for repairs to the aging office building and have ring-fenced legacy funds of £113,212 This leaves a reserve of £209,595 We look to maintain our reserves at between £183,000 and £243,00. These figures are reviewed annually and increased in line with RPI. ## **Details of any funds materially in deficit** None ## **Further financial review details** Our main sources of income are subscriptions (gift aided where possible); dividends from investments; donations; and legacies. Since donations and legacies are sporadic and not guaranteed, we strive, successfully, to meet our day-to-day running costs from subscriptions and dividends and use other income to fund our programmes. Since we are an unincorporated charity, we have vested title to our office building with the Official Custodian for Charities. The building is valued in the accounts at its purchase price rather than its current market value. . ## Other optional information ## **Future plans** We are attempting to widen the demographic of the Society, which is currently dominated by retired people. We are attempting to reach out to universities, Duke of Edinburgh award groups and other younger people. We continue to recruit Path Checkers who are encouraged to use modern smartphones to report faults when they see them, but who are not, unlike Inspectors, actively encouraged to seek out faults We will continue instigating DMMOs and anticipate taking some of the current applications to public inquiry. We are planning to move our office based computer system to a cloud based model Declaration **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees.** Name David C Brown Position Acting Honorary Secretary Date 09 March 2023 **Peak & Northern No 212219 Footpaths Society Receipts and payments accounts For the period from** 01/01/2022 to 31/12/2022 ## **Section A Receipts and payments** **Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest £ £** **to the nearest £ to the nearest £** ## **A1 Receipts** Subscriptions **15,358 15,358** Affiliations **1,970 1,970** Legacies, bequests **500 500** Donations general **7,395 7,395** Donations signposts & footbridges **5,547 5,547** Gift Aid tax **5,516 5,516** Interest/Dividends **4,060 4,060** Miscellaneous **155 155** _**Sub total** (Gross income for AR)_ **34,954 5,547 40,501 A2 Asset and investment sales** Nationwide BS stock redemption **0** Charles Stanley Investments sold **157,642 157,642** _**Sub total**_ **157,642 0 157,642** _**Total receipts**_ **192,596 5,547 198,143 A3 Payments** Taylor House running costs **3,966 3,966** Signpost & Footbridges **3,252 5,547 8,799** CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 03/13/2023 1 **----- Start of picture text -----**
Travel & Subsistence 5,768 5,768
Printing,Copying,newsletter 6,396 6,396
Postage Telephone Stationery 3,326 3,326
Computer, Software & maintenance 2,778 2,778
Functions / Fundraising costs 1,421 1,421
Insurance 1,268 1,268
Subscriptions, Donations, Training 1,418 1,418
Footpath Improvements projects 42,909 42,909
Legal Professional & Secretarial 8,902 8,902
Badge purchases, bank charges & Sundries 661 661
Sub total 82,065 5,547 87,612
P & L SURPLUS -47,111
A4 Asset and investment purchases
Redmayne Bentley Investments bought 156,917 156,917
0
Sub total 156,917# 0 156,917
Total payments 238,982 5,547 244,529
Net of receipts/(payments) -46,386 0 -46,386
A5 Transfers between funds 0 0 0
A6 Cash funds last year end 228,307 61,010 289,317
Cash funds this year end 181,921 61,010 242,931
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## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the peri** **Categories** **Details** **Unrestricted funds** CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 2 03/13/2023 ## **to nearest £** ## **B1 Cash funds** ## **B3 Investment assets** **B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use** > Savings accounts **162,210** > Current accounts & petty cash **19,711** > _**Total cash funds**_ **181,921** (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) OK **Cost (optional)** **Details** Redmayne Bentley Investments TOTAL 0 **Cost (optional)** ## **Details** > Taylor House building **60,153** > Computer Equipment **13,458** Furniture fittings & other **4,351** equipment > P A sound system **1,509** CCXX R3 accounts (SS) 3 03/13/2023 Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees **----- Start of picture text -----**
Signature Print name
P Easthope
K McLean
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CCXX R4 accounts (SS) 03/13/2023 4 **----- Start of picture text -----**
CC16a
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## **Last year** ## **to the nearest £** **15,428 1,883 27,295 7,224 7,233 5,018 10,684 112 74,887** **14,000 0 14,000 88,887 10,323 8,524** CCXX R5 accounts (SS) 03/13/2023 5 **4,721 5,914 4,699 5,173 0 1,143 455 4,997 1,783 50 47,782 27,095 0 0 0 47,782 41,095 0 248,222 289,317** **iod Restricted funds** CCXX R6 accounts (SS) 6 03/13/2023 ## **to nearest £** ## **61,010** **0** **61,010** OK **Current value (optional) 150,886** **150,886** **Current value (optional)** CCXX R7 accounts (SS) 03/13/2023 7 Date of approval 23/1/2023 23/1/2023 CCXX R8 accounts (SS) 8 03/13/2023 ## ## ##